Parashat Lech Lecha- "To Endear the Land to Him"
"To Endear the Land to Him"
The first verse of Parashat Lech-Lecha records God's command to Avraham to leave his homeland and travel "to the land that I will show you." Of course, as we know, God refers here to the Land of Israel, which was then called Canaan. In issuing this command, however, God chose not to inform Avraham of where he was to go. Instead, He simply ordered Avraham to start traveling, and when he arrived in Canaan God informed him that this was the land where he must settle.
Why did God withhold this information from Avraham? Why did He not from the outset command him to travel to Canaan?
Rashi (Rabbi Shelomo Ben Yishak, France, 1040-1105) explains that God withheld this information from Avraham "in order to endear the land to him," so that Avraham would experience greater excitement and joy upon arriving in Canaan. Avraham journeyed without knowing whether he was headed in the proper direction, or the distance he had yet to travel. When God finally informed him that he had arrived at his destination, that the period of wandering has ended, he was jubilant. After the many weeks of tension and anxiety, of wondering when and how he would finally reach the land he was promised, the experience of joy and gratification upon concluding the journey was particularly meaningful. This experience far exceeded the joy he would have felt had he known from the outset where he was headed and how much time the trip would take.
Rav Avraham Pam noted the practical lesson that emerges from the concept that Rashi here presents. The more challenging and grueling an endeavor is, the greater the sense of satisfaction when success is achieved. Goals attained through relative ease, without any hurdles or setbacks to overcome, bring a person far less joy and gratification than those achieved through diligence, determination and hard work.
Rav Pam applied this lesson to the experience of students in the Yeshiva. A Rabbi could either teach his students directly that a certain action is permissible or forbidden, or have them research the topic independently and arrive at the conclusion on their own. They would have to carefully analyze all the difficult texts on the topic, from the Talmud through contemporary authorities, and then determine what is forbidden and what is permissible. At the end of this process, their sense of satisfaction would certainly far exceed the feeling they would experience upon simply hearing the final Halacha from their Rabbi. The more grueling and complex the process, the greater the gratification one enjoys upon its completion.
In truth, this lesson applies in all areas of life. Whenever we are confronted with a difficult situation, when our endeavors do not progress as smoothly and in as straightforward a fashion as we would have liked, we should realize that this might actually be a blessing. It was out of immense love that God did not reveal to Avraham his destination, in order to enhance his joy and enthusiasm upon reaching his goal. Similarly, we, too, are occasionally presented with hardships and obstacles that we must surmount to achieve our goals. These obstacles were placed by God for our benefit – to maximize our sense of gratification when we ultimately succeed and work to overcome those challenges.
